Cambodia Uncovered

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Tour Snapshot

Explore ancient temples and uncovered part of Cambodia with less travelled road, meet the locals who live in rural villages & learn about their way of life. Starting from a perfect gateway to the fabled temples of Siem Reap and end in vibrant renaissance capital. This tour showcases natural marvels without missing the greater Mekong and its most famous flooded forests. From the shining marble of Angkor Wat and the King of the Mountain Temples, Preah Vihear to Mekong Wetlands and Cambodia’s ethnic minorities in Ratanakiri, connect with the culture and nature of this incredible land.

Highlights

Learn about the history and culture of the region in the company of our friendly knowledgable guides

Explore the world heritage temples of Angkor and imposing mountain-top Preah Vihear Temple

Bird Watching at Boeung Pearaing Eco-tourism Community

Journey through countryside and rural villages

Explore Mekong River and its mighty falls

Witness mighty Mekong Falls that thwarted the grand designs of French imperialists

Kayak through flooded forests of Ramsa Wetlands

Dive into Khmer culture with a homestay

Discover indigenous lifestyle and their traditional burial ground

Visit the local gem mining worker at Borkeo

Watch Irrawaddy river dolphins by boat

Itinerary

Day 1

After welcoming you at the Siem Reap Airport, a Cambodian Pride Tours representative will transfer you to a comfortable hotel in the city centre for overnight.

Accommodation

Hotel (1 night)

Day 2 Siem Reap – Temples of Angkor by bike (Small Circuit)

We start our day after breakfast by cycle from the hotel toward the check-point of Angkor pass. From there you will begin to see Kravan temple, Banteay Kdei, and stop at the famous Ta Phrom, embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers. Visit Ta Phrom that was built in 12th century by the famous King Jayavarvan VII indicated to his mother. The ruined Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider) temple was made famous by Angelina Jolie. This temple has been left to the forces of nature by archaeologists as it was ‘discovered’ by French explorer Henri Mouhot in 1860, many parts of its structure being embraced by the roots of gigantic trees, giving the ruin a special atmosphere, as well other structures on the Small and Grand Circuit.
We continue our cycling tour through small circuit passing Ta Keo temple, Chao Say Tevoda, Tommanon before reaching to Angkor Thom city. There you will see, Terrace of Leper King, Terrace of Elephant, Baphoun, Phimean Akas and of course Bayon temple. Angkor Thom was built by Cambodia’s greatest king, Jayavarman VII. An eight-meter high wall encloses this ten square kilometre city, which is encircled by a moat. The famous Bayon, in the geographical heart of Angkor Thom, is a remarkable 54-tower temple. Initially the temple appears to be a shapeless mass of grey and brown stone, but it is only as you get closer that you realize every tower has the carved face of Avalokiteshvara on it.
We continue to South Gate of Angkor Thom for taking photo. We enjoy cycling on the back road on the great wall of Angkor Thom city. Then, we visit the magnificent 12th century Angkor Wat. It is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. Angkor Wat is a massive three-tiered pyramid crowned by five beehive-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. The Mother of all temples, Angkor Wat is believed to be the world’s largest religious building built in order to dedicate to the Hindu god, Vishnu.

Accommodation

Hotel (1 night)

Included Activities

Siem Reap – Angkor Temples Guided Tour

Cycling

30km return

Meals Included

Rise early for sunrise over the Mother of all temples, Angkor Wat which is believed to be the world’s largest religious building. Then, we head to the temple mountain of Pre Rup, before driving further north to Banteay Srei, Angkor’s ultimate art gallery. This petite pink temple is the jewel in the crown of Angkor-era sculpture. The elaborate carvings here are the finest found in Cambodia and the name translates as ‘Fortress of the Women’, thanks to the intricate detail here, considered too fine for the hands of a man. On the way back to Siem Reap we make a detour to the less frequently visited Banteay Samre. Built by King King Suryavarman II, the same king who built Angkor Wat, the structure with its high temple tower has undergone extensive restoration. In the afternoon we visit Neak Pean, a small island temple situated in the middle of an artificial pool, which translates as “intertwined serpents” due the coiled serpents encircling the base of the structure. We then continue on to Preah Khan or “sacred sword”, a huge monastic complex which features elaborate carvings. Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

Accommodation

Hotel (1 night)

Included Activities

Siem Reap – Angkor Temples Guided Tour

Optional Activities

Meals Included

After breakfast, we travel southeast out of Siem Reap to one of the largest and least-visited villages on the Tonle Sap Lake, Kompong Khleang, about 55km from Siem Reap. It’s population of 10,000 all make a living from the fishing industry. We explore the canals (wet season) or streets (dry season) of this incredible town. In the wet season, the houses appear to be floating, as water laps at the verandas, but in the dry season towering stilts are revealed, the houses almost like wooden skyscrapers. You can hire a boat and cruise into the open water of the great lake to see a small floating village and learn some more about this incredible natural flood barrier. After lunch break in a local restaurant, we explore the lost temple of Beng Mealea, the titanic of temples, a slumbering giant lost for centuries in the forests of Cambodia. It is the most accessible of Angkor’s lost temples, a mirror image of Angkor Wat, but utterly consumed by the voracious appetite of nature. Constructed by Suryavarman II in the 12th century, the builder of Angkor Wat, the forest has run riot here and it is hard to get a sense of the monument’s shape amid the daunting ruins. Returing to your hotel in Siem Reap.

Accommodation

Hotel (1 night)

Included Activities

Siem Reap – Angkor Temples Guided Tour

Siem Reap – Tonle Sap Lake Boat Trip

Meals Included

07:30AM leaving from your hotel and travel by van to Chreav commune, and our Bird Expert will lead you to “Boeung Pearaing Responsible Eco Tourism” site. Along the way, you will enjoy our beautiful rice fields and different species of birds Such as Asian Open-billed, black headed ibis, cormorants, purple herons, grey herons and etc. 08:15AM You will be welcomed by bird conservation team, where a short orientation of Boeung Pearaing Responsible Eco Tourism conducted before starting bird watching tour. Our team boat driver will happily take you to the bird conservation sites where they are searching for food. Then you will be explained about bio diversities and especially varieties of bird such as: Spot-billed pelicans, cormorants, darter, painted stork, lesser adjutant, black headed ibis, grey headed fish eagle, egrets, grey herons and etc.. Return to Siem Reap town for your lunch break before we leave behind Siem Reap and head north to the mountainous border region and the last outpost of the Khmer Rouge at Anlong Veng, where we visit the house of the former military strongman Ta Mok. Anlong Veng was the last Khmer Rouge stronghold to surrender to government forces in the late 1990s. We then head east to Sra Em where we check into a comfortable hotel for the night.

Accommodation

Hotel (1 night)

Included Activities

Meals Included

Breakfast

Day 6 Morning Preah Vihear Temple. Travel to the remote community of Preah Rumkel.

In the morning we explore an imposing mountain-top temple guards the border between Cambodia and Thailand, Preah Vihear temple which was registered to be the world heritage 2008, perched on a pinnacle overlooking Cambodia and the object of recent battles with Thailand. We climb to the top of the Preah Vihea temple via the snaking road up the mountain which is very steep in places and we eventually emerge at the second enclosure of this king of the mountain temples. We explore the temple on foot and continue onwards to the final level, clinging to a cliff face in the Dangrek Mountains, towering hundreds of metres above lowland Cambodia below. The views from this most mountainous of temple mountains are breathtaking.
After lunch break in a local restaurant in Sra Em, we journey to Cambodia-Lao border of Preah Rumkel Community, one of the most remotes eco-tourism frontier community. We survey Sopheakmet Waterfall; that thwarted the grand designs of French imperialists (and which now mark the Lao border). If time is available we will take the boat across the river to visit Hang Khone, which is the southernmost tip of Laos. The French used this as a ferry port where goods were then transferred back to the ferry by train before they continued their travel by river. Sunset here is some of the most beautiful sunsets across the Mekong River.
Tonight, you will stay in a traditional Cambodian home under mosquito net at one of the local family who live on the bank of the Mekong River; experience bucket shower like Khmer people.

Accommodation

Homestay (1 night)

Included Activities

Sra Em – Pickup truck up and down Preah Vihear Mountain

Sra Em – Preah Vihear Temple Guided Tour

Stung Treng – Mighty Mekong Falls

Stung Treng – Preah Rumkel Community

Meals Included

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 7 Stung Treng – Kayaking Through Mekong Flooded Forests.

After breakfast at homestay, it’s time to say good bye to the family. Then, we enjoy a short boat trip down to O’Svay where we will start our paddling tours to explore the Ramsar Wetlands area. It stretches south along the Mekong River from the border with Laos to Stung Treng. Only accessible by boat, it is a haven for critically endangered mammals, birds and fish and a unique riverine flooded forest system that is a photographer’s dream. With only birdcalls announcing our presence, we maneuvered our way leisurely downstream for a couple of hours. Our paddling tour of the forest continue until one point that you feel enough, then we return back to O’Svay by boat before we travel by road to the provincial capital of Stung Treng. We check in to a comfortable local hotel for the night.

Accommodation

Hotel (1 night)

Included Activities

Stung Treng – Ramsar Wetlands Kayaking

Meals Included

Before leaving Stung Treng, We might visit Stung Treng Women’s Development Center (open Monday to Friday). STWC or Mekong Blue is where the project focuses on developing life skills that assist in breaking the cycle of poverty and illiteracy for vulnerable people, especially women in their region. You will learn about Cambodian silk weaving and their production, which allows not only preservation, but cultivation of the hundred-year old tradition of silk-weaving. At the end you can shop for souvenirs. Then, we hid the road south towards O’Pongmon before veering east towards the red earth of Ratanakiri. We arrive in Ban Lung in early afternoon. After lunch break, we explore a 25m high Cha Ung waterfall which surrounded by various creepers and by climbing plants. The scene is very picturesque- the water spray generated by the water cascading off the vegetation creates its own rainbows in the sunlight. We can access the bottom part with a new concrete stairs. Behind the waterfall is a large rocky cave from which visitors can gain a different perspective of the scenery through the water. At the base of the falls are natural scattered large boulders where trekkers can relax and take in the incredible views. Check into your hotel and enjoy your lunch. Later in the afternoon, we visit Yeak Laom crater lake. It is time to enjoy the refreshing waters of the beautiful crater lake of Yeak Loam, set amid a pocket of lush jungle.

Accommodation

Hotel (1 night)

Included Activities

Ratanakiri – Cha Ung Waterfall

Ratanakiri – Yeak Loam Crater Lake

Meals Included

Breakfast

Day 9

Ratanakiri – Indigenous Lifestyle.
After breakfast in Ban Lung, we head south passing through the rubber plantations to Borkeo where we will see the old gem area in the forests. Our journey continues to discover one sample of Jarai cemetery. After a very local lunch at Andong Meas, we visit Jarai Village which home to a traditional Jarai burial ground complete with carved effigies of the deceased. Jarai is one the eight hill tribe ethnics in Ratanakiri. Family groups are buried side by side and elaborate ceremonies held after a period of mourning. We return to Banlung by road. Along the way, there are opportunities to stop at minority villages to learn a little about their way of life, traditional silk weaving and farming.

Accommodation

Hotel (1 night)

Included Activities

Ratanakiri – Countryside tour

Ratanakiri – Indigenous lifestyle

Ratanakiri – Local gem mining at Borkeo

Meals Included

Breakfast

Day 10 Ratanakiri to Kratie. Dolphin Watching.

We leave behind Banlung and travel southwest towards O’Pongmon before veering south towards to the charming town of Kratie and check into your comfortable hotel.
In the afternoon we trave to Kampi, one of the many deep pools where the rare river dolphins gather to feed. We board a local boat and cruise out into the mighty Mekong for a chance encounter with these gentle mammals. Viewing is guaranteed. After enjoying an hour or more of dolphin viewing, we travel back to Kratie.

Accommodation

Hotel (1 night)

Included Activities

Kratie – Dolphin watching by boat

Meals Included

After breakfast, we visit the central Market of Kratie where you will see the local trades. Afterwards, we experience the traditional rice whisky production at Crazy Cow Village before we, we travel to Cambodia capital city of Phnom Penh. We pass through Kampong Cham where we visit the bamboo bridge built across the mighty Mekong River connecting mainland to Koh Pen Island. Before reaching Phnom Penh, there is the chance to pause at Skuon, affectionately known as ‘Spiderville’, where it is possible to sample the local delicacy of deep fried tarantula. Have lunch on the road, returning to your Phnom Penh hotel between 3 and 5pm, depending on weather and traffic.

Included Activities

Kratie – Local market

Kratie – Rice whisky production

Meals Included

Breakfast

This itinerary is written based on our tour research expeditions. It should be read in order to get a good general impression and NOT as a detailed hour by hour itinerary. Cambodian Pride Tours works with the local people; we can change parts of the tour due to weather terrain conditions depending on the season and customer requests.

Inclusions

Meals

10 breakfasts

3 lunches: one lunch in Preah Rumkel with a local family at the homestay, one take away lunch during kayaking, one lunch in Kratie.

1 dinner at Preah Rumkel with a local family at the homestay.

Transport

Local transportation by private vehicle, ferry crossing and boat

Accommodation

Accommodation in confirmed room category and named hotels

Included activities

Accompanied at all time by experienced English speaking friendly guide

All programs according to the description

Arrival airport transfer, only if you arrive with the rest of the group